3rd Monday and Beyond

Rae took John with her when she went to see Dr. Dobson. He was going to go up and see Jesse while she attended her appointment, but she just wanted them to meet each other. Helen was on duty when they arrived, she was putting some flowers into a vase. "Good morning, Helen, how are you this morning?"

"Fine, thank you, Detective. Dr. Dobson is waiting for you, if you would like to go through."

"I just want to introduce him to my son, then he is going to go visit with Dr. Travis." Rae let John walk in before her. Dr. Dobson was sorting his mail, but he stood up as he saw them enter.

"Good morning, Detective. This must be your son." He held out his hand. John took it with a smile.

"I am, how did you know that?"

"I hate to disillusion you, but you look like your mother!" They smiled at each other.

"Good morning, Doctor, John isn't going to stay, I just wanted to introduce you. If I'd realised that I was going to be insulted, I may have changed my mind." She smiled and John stuck his tongue out at her.

John walked over. "I'll go and see Jesse then, Mum. Are you going to meet me up there?"

Rae nodded and watched as her son left the room. "Sorry about that, but I'm trying to make him feel included in my life, he goes home tomorrow." Rae sighed; she was really going to miss him.

"It's not a problem. So, Detective, how are you feeling this morning? You see to be quite bright."

"I don't really know. I think I'm in some sort of limbo. Levington's in jail; he'll be arraigned today. I know that he'll plead not guilty. After the preliminary hearing I plan to go home to England, with Jesse, to see my family. I can't go back to work until next Monday; Dr. Collins won't let me. So, here I am, with lots that needs to be done, unable to do any of it."

"Have you ever heard of the word relax, Detective?" Rae looked at him. "I suggest that you use your time to do some of that. Maybe read a book, or even, do absolutely nothing. I think it will do you good."

"Maybe I could go over to Dr. Sloan's house and spend some time on the beach." Rae looked at him. The idea was very appealing.

"How have you been sleeping since I saw you, Detective?"

Rae looked at him, and shrugged. "I don't know. I've been taking a sedative while John's here. I didn't want him to hear me if I had nightmares. Jesse and I can sort out our bad dreams together after John has gone home." She paused. "I hope that the dreams don't come back, they were horrid." She shivered.

"In what way?"

"They distorted what happened. Mixed up the Howard Case and what happened with Levington. No, I don't want them back." Rae ran her fingers through her hair. She wasn't sure if this was doing her any good this morning. She felt more agitated and anxious now, than when she had come in.

"Detective." She turned to face the doctor.

"Yes?"

"You can't push these feelings away all the time. I understood what you meant about your throat, you can't bear to let anyone touch it can you?"

"No, apart from Jesse, I don't know that I ever will. What she did to me..."

Dr. Dobson cut across her, "You mean Leticia Howard?"

"Yes, she nearly killed me, it was so quick, I felt so vulnerable, and then when he touched me." She stopped and a shudder went through her.

"Maybe she saved your life, Detective, have you thought of that? Would you have done what you did if he hadn't touched you there?"

"Jesse asked me that. I don't think I would have shot him, not then anyway. Maybe he would have found my gun and I would have lost my edge, not that I felt like I had one most of the time." She smiled. "I'd never kicked a man there before, it's quite effective isn't it?"

He smiled at her, but didn't reply to that part of her question. "I think that I will let you go today, but I want to see you next Monday, and, if you are going to travel to London, I want to see you again before you go.  We'll talk things through in more detail when you don't have other people, such as your son, to worry about, ok?"

"Thank you, Doctor. I understand what you're saying, and I appreciate it." Rae got up and left the room. She walked slowly up to see Jesse. She knew that the doctor was right; she had to talk about how she felt. But while John was here, her responsibility was to him, and to Jesse, until he was well again. Then maybe she could attend to herself.

She found herself outside Jesse's room as she finished thinking. She smiled through the glass. John had his back to the door, but she could see that Jesse and he were, once again, deep in conversation. It gave her so much pleasure to see that she didn't enter immediately, but watched the scene in front of her.

"Rae, are you coming in, honey?" Jesse's voice cut into her trance and she opened the door. "Are you alright? You seemed to be miles away."

"No, I was right here, enjoying watching the you and John together. I love it that the two of you get along so well." She walked across, kissed her son on the cheek and then moved closer to Jesse. "Hi, darling, how are you this morning?" She kissed him on the lips before he had a chance to answer.

"Better, much better, I still feel really sore, but I know even that's easier than it was. I'm still holding out for Saturday as the day I can go home." He took her hand. "Do you have to go see Dr. Collins? Only John and I still have lots to talk about!"

"Oh, right, I know when I'm not wanted! Actually I have to go into the station, Levington's being arraigned this morning."

"John can stay here if you like. Amanda's coming up in a little while; they haven't met yet, have they?"

Rae shook her head. "Ok, I'll go and see about my hand. Take care you two." There was a spring in her step as she entered the ER. Dr. Collins didn't miss it.

"Good morning, Detective. Let's have a look at that hand."

It didn't take very long. Now that the antibiotics had sorted out the infection it was healing nicely. "I don't think I need to see you again this week. Come in next Monday and I can probably take out the stitches and you can start to use it again. You may need some physiotherapy on it, but we can decide that later."

"Thank you. I'll see you then." Rae headed out of the hospital, hoping that nobody would realise that she was actually going into work.

Steve was sat at his desk when she arrived. "Rae, what are you doing here? I thought you were on sick leave until next week."

"I am, but I want to make sure that Levington gets charged today."

"Rae, it's all over, he was first up this morning. He was charged with kidnapping, grievous bodily harm, stalking and harassment. Bail was refused, and his preliminary hearing was set for two weeks time."

Rae sat heavily at her desk. "It's finished then, I don't have to worry about him any more." She ran her hand through her hair. "Thank goodness for that." She sat there quietly for a long time.

Steve looked across every now and then, but she seemed at peace. He guessed that she had alot to think through. After about three quarters of an hour he walked over to her and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Rae, are you alright? Can I get you anything?"

"No, Steve, thank you. I was just thinking, about a lot of things. Is the Chief in? Only I need to arrange for some holiday, then I can come back and finish my assignment, to the best of my ability."

One Month Later

Jesse was sitting on the Embankment, opposite The Houses of Parliament watching Mara and Patrick queue up for ice cream. Rae and John were throwing the remains of the picnic lunch on the ground for the pigeons. He smiled, so this was what having a family was like. He had taken Mara to school, been to a bike rally with John, and learnt more about sixteen-year olds from Patrick than he felt he really needed to know. All in all it had been great.

He and Rae had discussed how they felt about the second set of cameras in Rae's apartment. They hadn't had any of the problems from the first time around, and now they both felt that their relationship was stronger than ever.

"Jess, can you give Mara a hand, otherwise I think your lolly might become the pigeons pudding!" Rae smiled at him, she looked completely relaxed, in fact they all did.

"Ok." He walked over to where the dark haired child was struggling with her purchases. "Hey, sweetie, let me take that for you." He had got over seeing Hana Marlow every time he looked at her. He couldn't begin to imagine what Rae had felt that first time she had seen Hana's body.

Mara looked up at him, the adoration in her eyes was clear for everybody to see. "I don't want you to go home tomorrow, Jesse. Can't you and mummy stay a little bit longer?"

"Mara, we already extended our stay by three days, we have to get back to work." He paused. "We need to start saving up, so that you can come and stay with us." She shrieked with joy.

"Mummy, mummy, Jesse says we can come and stay with you! You have to go home now and start saving up!"

Rae laughed. "I guess you'd like to come then?" Mara nodded, her eyes bright now with excitement. "Well, my apartment is furnished again, I'm back at work, Jess will start back next Monday, if we leave it a couple of months I expect we'll be able to take some more time off. Then we can show you the sights and sounds of Los Angeles, how does that sound?"

Patrick put his arms around his Mum, "Anywhere or anything would be brilliant, as long as you are there."

Rae smiled at him. Jesse stopped a man walking past and she saw him ask if he would take a photo. The five of them stood together and smiled. It doesn't get any better than this. Jesse took her hand. They were together, and that was where they were supposed to be.

The End.

Thank you for finishing my story. I hope that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. There will be another Rae story, I can't have her life running smoothly, from now on can I?

Tracy